When you walk close to Jesus, you can expect that God will give you new insights and a few “Ah-ha!” moments. It’s in these moments when you see Jesus more clearly or hear God’s still-small voice. It can ignite an unstoppable faith and change your life. God is searching the earth looking for people like you & me who want to see Jesus more clearly and hear His voice. Key question – When God is searching, will YOU be found by Him? Here are this week’s 3 Circle Questions: 1. ILLUMINATION – Think of a time when God made something completely clear to you. Share when, where, and how it happened. 2. COMMUNICATION – On a scale of 1-10, how much do you need to hear from God? Why so? 3. DIRECTION – Make a list of all the ways God can lead us in His direction. Then circle 2-3 you believe God wants you to focus on this summer. Please share this video with friends. Invite them to join us as we give thanks to God every day at 3M – that’s a great way to grow our love for Jesus! Thanks! See you next week… but not at 5am!

We all know Jesus was a great teacher and a great leader. He was the son of God, after all… But did you know Jesus was a great friend? Which says a lot, considering what His “band of brothers” was like. You had: a) Peter, James, John, Philip, and Andrew – Hebrew school rejects who were now fishing for a living. b) Matthew – a tax collector, which means stole money from his people. Everyone hated him. c) Simon – a Zealot – basically a politician… enough said d) Thomas – a pretty negative doubter. Kind of like Eeyore on steroids e) Judas – a thief who ultimately betrayed Him. But He still loved them… and many, many more. This week, I want to challenge you to prioritize your friendships, like Jesus did I want you to TELL one friend you still care: Here are four steps that spell TELL. T – TIME – set a time to reach out to a friend you’ve lost touch with, put it on your calendar, make it a priority. E – EFFORT – schedule the call, zoom, coffee, walk, or a visit. Put in the effort to reconnect your hearts and minds. L – LOVE – let her know you’re sorry for the distance. Ask her questions about her life to catch up to current times. Actively listen without distractions. L – LAUGH – share stories, reminisce about the good times, laugh about how silly you were, how much you’ve changed or stayed the same. So who comes to your mind? Which friends have you lost in the busyness of life? Who would be surprised to hear from you this summer? Go ahead TELL her you still care and would like to find the time to reconnect. Only God knows the number of our days. Let’s cherish today and prioritize friendship like Jesus! 3 O’Clock Circle - Two or more together sharing real life and relevant faith. Here are 3 questions to talk about in your circle. 1. How does our pace of life distance us from friends we genuinely care about? What other obstacles stand in the way of prioritizing friends in your life? 2. List sometimes you’ve experienced mountain tops - joyous times with friends. What about the valleys? Can you recall walking through some difficult times with a friend. 3. Reach out this week to one friend you’ve lost track of. How will you tell her you care? What’s your plan? Write it down and stick to it. Thank you for joining me in the mountains. See you next week! TAKE CARE MY FRIEND!

Here are 3 questions you can wrestle with this week. I encourage you to read David vs. Goliath in 1Samuel 17. Then reflect on these questions personally and with a circle of trusted people. 1. Every day we face giants in our lives. Maybe your giant is anxiety, insecurity, body image, anger, or unforgiveness. The list of giants is long and very personal. Take a moment and ask yourself. What giant is stopping me in my tracks and blocking my spiritual growth? 2. Once you’ve named your giant, it’s time to tap into God’s supernatural power given to you through the Holy Spirit. Think of a time when God fought a battle for you. You won, but you’re confident it was because the battle belonged to the Lord. There’s power in remembering how God came through for you in the past. Ask yourself, when have I seen the Holy Spirit at work in my life? Share you real life story and watch your confidence soar! 3. Knowing you show up on the battlefield with the power of the Holy Spirit, visualize what the victory looks like. Then ask God to give you the stepping stones – each step of the way to defeat your giant. That might mean calling to make a counseling appointment, or studying forgiveness in the Bible, or linking arms with a friend who’s fighting the same battle. What’s your first step toward victory?

This week, I get to talk with Mary Carol Kolbenschlag, Co-founder of Discover Pathwaze, about how we can best figure out our direction amidst life’s many challenges and distractions. Discover Pathwaze has worked with hundreds of young adults to filter through the confusion, stress, and uncertainty of their college application and career process. Mary Carol shares her insight and wisdom, giving us THREE KEYS to discovering the best paths for us, and the young adults in our lives. This is so helpful, no matter where you are in your journey. Join us, along with one loud airplane, a couple big bugs, and a barking dog, for this powerful conversation in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. 3 Circle Questions Here are three questions you can reflect on and discuss with a circle of friends or family. 1. What are strengths you feel God has given you? How are you currently using these strengths in your life? 2. Who is someone you look to be your guide and help you discover the plans God has for you? Are you helping to guide anyone else? 3. Prayer Challenge – Ask God to lead you down the next path He has for you. Like Abraham, take the next step of faith and GO! Pray for young adults you love and ask God to help you be their guide.

What battles are you fighting right now? Where in your life do you need to see victory? How can you be best equipped to fight the good fight of faith every day? This week, we learn how each piece of the ARMOR OF GOD protects us in our fight. And let’s face it, we are fighting spiritual battles, big and small, every day. We can sure use the help. After you watch the video, here are 3 questions to reflect on, either by yourself, or with a few friends… 6 feet apart… To better answer these questions, please read through Ephesians 6:10-18. 1. Why do you think the full armor of God protects your head, heart, hands, and feet, really your whole body? 2. Which piece of the armor is easiest for you to put on every day? Which one is the most challenging to put on? Why so? 3. What battle are you fighting this week? How can the full armor of God help you fight your battle?

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. – 1Corinthians 2:9 During the past two months of COVID-19, what have your eyes NOT seen that you wish you could have seen? Maybe you miss seeing a paycheck being deposited into your checking account. Maybe you missed a graduation ceremony or your favorite team taking the field. For me, I missed seeing my daughter in Nevada over Spring Break and my mom and step-dad last month in Arizona. All my trips have been canceled. All my summer plans are still unknown. I sure yours are too. So much is still unknown, right? We don’t know when churches will gather again on weekends or sports teams will begin to practice. We don’t know when schools will open or when we’ll ever be able to plan a vacation. It’s now, in a time with so many unknowns, that I share our final Holy Habit – WALKING AND TALKING WITH GOD. This week’s message challenges you to WALK AND TALK WITH GOD this week. You’ll learn how to start, what to say, and laugh with God along the way. Here are three conversational starters to spur you on as you WALK AND TALK WITH GOD. 1. God, my eye can’t see the future but I can see my blessings today. Here are the things I am most thankful for… 2. God, I want to hear Your voice and know the plans You have for me. I do love you. What is the next step of faith You have for me? 3. God, only You know how long this current crisis will last, while I wait how can I learn to love you more?

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. -Psalm 103:8 I hope you’re all hanging in there. By my count, this is Week 8 of the “COVID 19 Shut Down.” For 8 weeks now, you’ve been in cooped-up in close quarters with the same people. There’s no escape. We’re able to pick our friends but when it comes to FAMILY and this quarantine…we’re stuck with them. This week’s Holy Habit is vital to your survival: FORGIVENESS. Take a tour with me through some of my dirty laundry, minus the smell, and I’ll teach you 5 Steps I’ve found to be essential for my forgiving others, and myself. Here are this week’s 3 O’Clock Circle Questions: 1. If you hold onto a grudge and refuse to forgive, what are some negative consequences you and others experience? 2. If you practice the Holy Habit of being QUICK TO FORGIVE, who benefits? How so? 3. Review our 5 Forgiveness Steps. When someone hurts you, walk this way: • Give thanks to God for good times you’ve shared and how many times you’ve been forgiven. • Pray a special blessing over the person – one you’d want spoken over you. • Step into Their Shoes – See things from their perspective and grow compassion in your heart. • Forgive – Every time you feel the offense or think about it, ask the Holy Spirit to help you forgive again, and again, 70x7 times forgive. • Take Action – How can you walk in forgiveness? Pick up the phone. Write a loving note. Make a favorite meal. Ask God what He’d want you to do then do it. Step out in faith! Remember - Taking these steps of forgiveness will set YOU Free! It’s worth the work it takes. In the meantime, I hope you’ll remember to be QUICK TO FORGIVE every time you do your laundry or someone you love dumps all their dirty laundry on you. See you next week!